


You Can't Leave [Whumptober 2020]

by chemically_imbalanced_romance



Series: Whumptober 2020/Cult AU [10]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: (no actual rape), Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood, Body Horror, Cults, Gaslighting, Gen, Gore, Humiliation, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapped, Knives, M/M, Manipulation, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Non-Consensual Kissing, Rape/Non-con Elements, Restraints, Violence, a person in a cage, beatings, forced drugging, let me know if I missed anything please, treating people like property
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:40:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26946838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chemically_imbalanced_romance/pseuds/chemically_imbalanced_romance
Summary: [Whumptober 2020 Day 10; Cult AU] Bates reminds Virgil and Janus why they should stay.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Deceit | Janus Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Deceit | Janus Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders
Series: Whumptober 2020/Cult AU [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947007
Comments: 5
Kudos: 63
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	You Can't Leave [Whumptober 2020]

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: No. 10: They Look So Pretty When They Bleed [Trail of Blood]

_ October 12th. 4:40 pm.  _

“You see what happens when you abandon us, Janus? When you infect others with the same ideas?” Bates sighed and dragged the knife over Virgil’s skin again, drawing blood and a cry from Virgil’s mouth. “People get hurt. I wouldn’t have to do this if you just… Listened.” 

“Stop hurting him,” Janus begged. “I know it’s my fault, you should be hurting me!” 

Bates set the knife down on the metal tray he had brought in. He looked at Janus with sad eyes. “I know you too well, sweetheart. You’d let me do anything to you. You don’t care about yourself enough for it to matter. This is the only way to get through to you.” 

He picked up a syringe filled with clear liquid. Janus pulled at his chains violently. “STOP, STOP, DON’T! You got through to me, you did! I’m sorry! I won’t do it again!” 

“You said that last time.” 

Virgil flinched as Bates stuck the needle into his neck. He heaved for breath, hands gripping the chair he was strapped to. His arms were covered in bleeding cuts, his face swollen and bruised. He hadn’t looked at Janus once. 

Bates set the empty syringe down as Janus sobbed. He came to kneel in front of Janus and take his face in his hands. “Honestly, Jannie, calm down,” he hushed. “He’ll be fine. And this isn’t a fraction of what could happen to him if you guys left. You of all people should know that, shouldn’t you? After what happened to your parents?” 

Janus sniffled. “That doesn’t happen to everybody. It was bad luck.”

He wiped Janus’ tears away. “I know. But in here, it happens to  _ nobody _ . Don’t you want him to be safe?” Janus nodded shakily. “Then I have to do this. You need to know why you can’t leave.”

Virgil’s head slumped to his chest. Janus gasped as Bates strolled back over. “What- What did you do to him?”

“Just a little sedative.” Bates picked Virgil’s chin up. Virgil’s eyes rolled back in his head, but he was awake. “It’ll make things easier.” 

Bates untied Virgil, and he fell out of the chair and face planted onto the stone. He pressed his hands to the ground and tried to lift himself up, but his arms trembled so hard he couldn’t move. The door to upstairs was wide open, the stairs mere steps away. If Virgil could only get his strength, he could make a break for it, get out…

Bates sighed. “I know what you’re thinking, love. You say I’ve gotten through to you, but you still want to get him out of here.”

Janus dragged his eyes away from the door and shook his head. “No,” he said thickly, “no, you’re wrong. Please stop hurting him.” 

“I’m not the one hurting him.” Bates flipped Virgil onto his back with his foot and held him down by his stomach. Bates crossed his arms. “Tell Virgil why he should stay.”

“What?” Janus whispered.

Bates raised an eyebrow. “Tell him why he should stay. Tell him why he would be better off with us, with our family.” 

Virgil’s gaze raised, meeting Janus’ eyes. They were glassy with tears,  _ begging _ Janus to get him out. 

“It’s… It’s better here,” Janus managed. “They can… Protect us. They can- Bates can keep this from happening. He can keep us safe.” 

Bates hauled Virgil to his feet. Virgil was completely limp, Bates’ arms under his the only thing keeping him upright. His head drooped again, chin pressed to his chest. 

Janus squeezed his eyes shut for just a moment, before he swallowed and forced himself to look at Virgil. “You should be grateful I led you here. It’s better here. It is.” 

“You’re right,” Virgil choked out, voice thick with sobs. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I want to stay.” 

Bates dragged Virgil over and dropped him into Janus’ lap. All Janus wanted was to hold him, but as much as he pulled at his chains, they didn’t budge, and Virgil was too weak to adjust. Bates climbed the steps and shut the door, before locking it and tucking the key in his pocket. He came back down and unlocked Janus’ handcuffs. 

Janus immediately lifted Virgil to sit properly in his lap, hugging him tightly. Virgil’s head dropped to Janus’ shoulder. 

“You did so well,” Bates whispered, brushing their hair back. “You both did so good. Here, Janus, have some water-”

He shook his head and cupped Virgil’s face. “Him first. Please.” 

Bates nodded and fit the straw between Virgil’s lips. Virgil sipped slowly, eyes lidded. Janus sipped some water after, and it was the best thing he’d ever tasted. 

“I think you guys have earned some dinner,” Bates said gently. “Virgil, time to get back in your cage.”

“Can we please just have a few minutes?” Janus begged. “Please, I’ll give up my dinner, just a few more minutes?”

Bates’ eyes slipped to Virgil. “And do you agree with this?”

Janus quickly shook his head. “No, no- I’m giving up  _ mine _ . He needs to eat.”

“Janus,” he sighed. “You know this. You two are a team. Either both of you eat, or neither.” 

“I want to stay,” Virgil slurred. 

“No, you have to eat.” Janus rested his hand on Virgil’s tummy. He’d already lost so much weight in less than two weeks. “I take it back.” 

Bates raised an eyebrow and looked between the two expectantly. After a minute of no complaints, he sighed and nodded. “Okay. Virgil, get back in your cage, I’ll have Styx bring your food down.” 

Janus helped Virgil off his lap and as far across the floor as he could before the chain wrapped around his waist stopped him. The blood dripping from Virgil’s arms dragged across the ground, leaving a sickly smell of copper behind. He backed into his cage and tucked his knees under him, his forehead pressed to the barred floor. 

Bates locked them back up before heading up the stairs. After a few minutes of tense silence, Virgil sniffled and asked quietly, “Did you mean it?”

Janus’ eyes widened in horror. “Of  _ course  _ not,” he whispered. “We’re- We’re getting out of here, I  _ promise _ . I’d never keep you here.”

Virgil sucked in a shuddering breath and wiped his eyes. He struggled to pull his shirt off in the tight confines. He wrapped it around his forearm, the fabric quickly growing heavy with blood, then pressed his arms together. 

“I don’t care if it kills me. You’re not staying here.” 

“Thank you for stopping him,” Virgil mumbled. 

He opened his mouth to say something else when the door squeaked open. Styx climbed down the steps holding a tray and wearing a sick grin. 

“Evening, darlings.” He set the tray on a filing cabinet and knelt in front of Virgil’s cage. It creaked and clattered as Bates slid the chain out and clipped the leash to Virgil’s collar. He tugged Virgil out and tied the leash to the pipe Janus was cuffed to. Virgil put his hands behind his back and Bates cuffed those, too. “Remus should be down here soon to take care of you, my pet.”

“Thank you, master.”

Janus hid a flinch. Virgil was becoming more obedient by the day, less vibrant, and it made Janus want to scream, and fight, and burn the entire school down with everyone inside. 

Styx set Virgil’s bowl of food down in front of him. Relief spilled through Janus’ stomach like cold water when Virgil grimaced, Styx’s back turned. Styx picked up Janus’ plate and sat next to him. He scooped food onto the fork and held it up, but his attention was focused firmly on Virgil, bent over with his head buried in the bowl. Styx grinned widely. 

Janus’ mouth watered. His stomach growled. 

Styx’s eyes snapped to Janus and he laughed. “Where have your manners gone?”

He swallowed. “I’m sorry.”

Styx snickered and shook his head, but brought the fork closer for Janus to close his mouth around. Remus came in halfway through their meal and waited patiently to the side. When they were finished, Styx piled their dishes on the tray and kissed Virgil roughly on the mouth. He unclipped his leash and left. 

Remus closed and locked the door behind him with a sigh. Janus pulled his bandages off after Remus uncuffed his wrists, and Remus knelt to wipe off Virgil’s face. 

“Hopefully it at least tasted good?” He unlocked Virgil’s binds and pulled his med kit out of his bag. 

Virgil cuddled into Janus’ side, nuzzling into his shoulder. “At least they stopped giving me shit I’m allergic to,” he grumbled. “They’re so fucking twisted.”

Janus held him tight. “I’m glad you’re still saying that,” he said quietly. 

Virgil looked at him in confusion as Remus worked on his arms. “What does that mean?”

He buried his face in Virgil’s hair. “You seem… Tired, lately.” 

“Like I’m going to give up?” He laughed. “That’s not something you have to worry about.”

“Good.” Remus finished wrapping Virgil’s arms and started rewrapping Janus’ wrists. “Because I think I have a plan.”

They both sat straight up. “What?” Virgil asked. “What is it?”

Remus shook his head and sat back. “I can’t tell you yet. You just have to trust me.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You’re  _ one _ of them, and you expect us-”

“We can trust him.” Janus squeezed Virgil. “If you can trust me, you can trust him.”

Virgil hesitated. “Look, Jan, I don’t want to… Offend you or anything, but you’re not…” He bit his lip as he thought how to word it, then sighed and said, “I’ve seen you be manipulated. Quite a few times, in fact. It doesn’t take much. I trust  _ you _ , but that doesn’t mean I trust your opinion.”

Janus fell silent. Part of him was relieved that Virgil knew how weak he was. It made it significantly harder for him to bring Virgil down when Virgil was on the look-out for it. But he was also… So fucking embarrassed. 

“I have to go now,” Remus stood, “Bates needs me somewhere else. I’m sorry, but I have to…” He nodded to the cage awkwardly. 

Virgil’s grip tightened on Janus. Janus kissed the side of his head. “It’s okay,” he murmured. “It’s okay. Go.” 

Remus helped Virgil into his cage and locked the cage. He restrained Janus and headed up the stairs.

Janus almost stopped him, almost begged him to go with them when they left, told him his brother missed him and Janus did, too. But the words got stuck in Janus’ throat and the door slammed behind him. 


End file.
